Playing Dice With the Universe
by Mountain King
Summary: The Autobots return to Cybertron to free it from Shockwave and his Decepticons. Shockwave comes up with a plan to win the war in the Earth's past, unaware that he's travelling into the middle of the Beast Wars! Beast Wars, Generation 1.5 & Buffy crossover
1. Introduction and teaser

Playing Dice With the Universe  
Introduction Recap and Disclaimer

Authors note  
As you know it's a bad idea to play dice with the universe. If I'm honest I just liked the title and when you start messing around with time travel I've always thought you might as well be rolling high odds. But speaking of titles this story came up in a discussion between me and another transformers writer, with one hell of a name. Ultra-Prime Autobot Hero

Basically he told me that with all the references to the Beast Wars in my inter-linked multiple transformers crossovers (just don't get me started... I'll fill you in later) I should go the whole way and write one. He threw me a lot of ideas I didn't see working in my overall plan, but I knew I had to do something.

Eventually I got around to plotting it out. I decided where to put it in the continuity I'd set up and as all my stories seem to, it snowballed. Filling in a lot of gaps I hadn't noticed before and involving a character I've tried to use before but couldn't find a way to fit him in. Whole ideas came then out of the blue and well you'll just have to see. So here we go. A Beast Wars G-1 crossover, with a few twists of course.

* * *

Recap.  
During the last few days of the Autobot Decepticon War on Earth a group of young humans became involved in the war. Summoned by the sprit of Primus these humans were lead by a human female known as the Slayer (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Primus knew that the one known as Dawn Summers, in reality an energy source called The Key, could merge with the Matrix of Leadership. Combined these two energy forces became known as Optimus Primus. The creation of this new god lead to the almost endless stalemate broken and Autobot victory.

In the final battle Megatron and almost all of the Earth based Decepticons were defeated. Those that could fled back to Cybertron. Long since conquered the once homeworld of all transformers was now totally dominated by Decepticons. Only a few sparse Autobots survived to wage a guerrilla resistance.

Upon hearing this Optimus Prime gathered the bulk of his Earth based forces and launched a liberation force. Leaving a small, but elite, wreckers team to defend the Earth the Autobot army left for home

* * *

Continuity note:-  
Generation 1.5 is a vast multiple crossover story involving the Autobots meeting various other shows while battling the Decepticons. The stories, in order (and the crossovers they're with) are:-

The Awakening (Stargate SG-1 section)

Deceptions and Robots (Kim Possible)

Keep Driving (Transformers/Beast Wars section)

All Creatures Great and Small (Buffy X-Overs)

This Story (urm... guess)

Help Needed (Smallville)

and the up coming WARZONE (Transformers/Beast Wars)

Please note that means they are unfinished at time of writing but will be soon (for soon read eventually).

* * *

Teaser

Bluetooth winced and looked at his team. He was the leader of four Micromasters. Small transformers built for battle with the smallest amount of energon available. Each four man team had a theme, Bluetooth's was simple all four were named after colours and transformed into combat equipment for other micromasters. combined they had enough punch to take down the Drones build by Cybertron's Decepticon governor, Shockwave.

A lot of Autobot civilians had left for Earth, a supposed paradise of high quality energon. Still a number of Autobots stayed, not everyone could fit into Metroplex and Fortress Maximus. There wasn't enough energon to launch anything else, leaving a number of Autobots stranded on Cybertron.

Then they heard Optimus Prime was returning with every Autobot willing to fight. Bluetooth's team might only have been a small part of their group but everyone was heading there, reasoning Prime would need all the support he could get.

They didn't know how right they were. Shockwave had also heard of Prime's return and set up a welcome home party. Cybertron's spaceport was a city state called Kallis. The centre was a massive spaceport and cargo containers, with sub-ports and dry docks making up the suburbs. While there were lesser landing sites scattered across the planet the only place you could land a whole invasion fleet was Kallis.

Shockwave had obviously booby trapped the main port so Prime's forces fell from the sky everywhere else. Both scattered and cramped on to landing sites far too small for them. It didn't take Shockwave's forces long to re-aim the defence batteries and all to soon the Autobots were pinned down.

The first wave of shuttles made it but after that the sky was full of ground to air missiles and laser blasts. The resistance group split up, Bluetooth and his team had joined with another three Autobots and they made it to the outer edge of one of the bunkers. That's when it's auto-defences had kicked in and sawed the three full scale Autobots in half. Leaving the four man team cowering behind shuttle debris.

'We've got to get out of here!' His brother shouted over a nasty explosion. 'The others are going to have to regroup.'

Reddusk looked up. 'Not a chance. We're still within range of those auto-guns, we run and were so much scrap.' He elbowed the shuttle hull they were cowering behind.

His brother just shook his head and tried to run. Bluetooth grabbed him by the arm 'Listen to him Blueknight, we're trapped here. At least for now.'

'We're dead either way. This cover of ours is slagged.' Greenshard agreed with Blueknight 'I say take our chances.'

Bluetooth looked at the red glow developing behind him.. Then there was another explosion. Close, far too close and the four of them covered their heads. Looking back up they found a new Autobot among them, silver and blue in colour and sleeker than any of them.

'Oh Hi.' they said through their face plate. 'Hope you don't mind.' The voice was female, so was the form, but none of them had encountered a female Autobot their own size before.

Before they could question her she picked up a gun in one hand and drew a box with her other. In one move she attached the box to the front of the gun, drew it in an arc and fired the box over the cover.

'Who are you?' Reddusk asked incredulous and moments before something exploded.

'Sunburst. Now excuse me...' She put a fist through the melting hull plating and pulled it out again. Shaking the slag from her arm she looked though her hole. 'I just love rifle grenades. Don't you?'

Bluetooth looked around the side. Something had exploded on the defence bunker's wall. Knocking out the auto-gun. 'Got any more of those?' He asked as another gun pivoted around to cover them.

'Sorry all out.' She answered as the new gun fired. She poked her rifle through her own little hole and fired back. 'And I'm not doing that well on ammo either.' admitting as she checking her ammo charge.

'Name's Bluetooth. If you need fire power you've got it in us.'

'Are your motherboards lose? We've got to get out of here!' Greenshard interrupted. 'You too lady...' Whatever else he was going to say was lost as she took one look at him and slapped him across the face.

'Pull yourself together.' She scolded him. '...Or failing that run that-a-way and get them to shoot you. Should be a good distraction for about five minuets.'

'What will you do?' Reddusk asked.

Sunburst looked at him. 'If we can take that bunker we can reprogram the auto-guns. Buy the big boy's time to get to ground.'

'Prime give you that order?' Blueknight asked

'Sort of...'

Then a communicator on her arm flicked up 'Sunburst, get back here! Didn't you hear me, we're falling back to the moons!' It was Optimus Prime's voice.

'You heard him, you heard him. They're abandoning us, running for it! We've got to get out of here ' Greenshard panicked and ran.

Sunburst and Bluetooth shouted for him to stop but it was no use, he was already in the open and a missile shell hit him. Scattering shrapnel everywhere.

'Sunburst get back here... Dawn!' Her radio cracked.

She just looked at it. 'Sorry Prime, something's wrong with my radio.' And then quite deliberately she held her arm out and blew the panel off.

Sunburst then looked around. 'Listen to me, if Prime runs these things will blow him out of space. If anyone does survive there won't be enough Autobots left to fight tomorrow. This is our Omaha, if we don't take this beachhead now we lose for good.'

'What can the four of us do?' Blueknight asked looking at the crater that was once Greenshard. 'We're no match for them.'

'Then think of it this way,' Sunburst explained, reloading, 'We have three options. Dying here like fish in a barrel. Running and getting shot in the back. Or doing our best. Your choice guys. I've made mine.' She jumped over the top, Reddusk was on her heals.

Bluetooth looked to his brother. 'Some choice.' They said to each other and ran for it.

* * *

Sunburst was once a human called Dawn Summers. Dawn Summers would never have used a line like "our Omaha". Heck a few months ago she didn't even know what a beachhead was. Now she was quoting corny war films and referencing classic military invasions. So, yay research paying off but she was charging head first at a great big armoured house with lots of guns around it. Not the sort of thing she wanted to do.

Behind her were the three survivors she had found. When she had seen how badly things were getting she put out a radio message for all Autobots that could to follow her. A grand total of one did and they got blown away three steps later.

She hated being small. No respect and just big enough to get stomped on, but right now it helped. The great big guns were built to take out full Autobots, not something human size. Like micromasters. The four of them ran, zigzagging to dodge gunfire when one of those violet half tank half robot things popped his head out of a hatch.

Sunburst fired at it, so she wasn't the best shot in the world but she didn't have to to hit this guy to keep him bottled up. The big red guy behind her shouted; 'Sunburst! Firepower incoming.' He jumped into the air and begun to transform. Head retracting and shoulders rising. The whole upper structure spun and became one long shoulder mounted cannon. Legs folding up and becoming a backpack, she jumped, catching the cannon on her shoulders. Twin straps fired out and dropped down. Sunburst grunted at the extra weight as he landed and shoulder rolled back to her feet

She brought the good size cannon around and fired. The plasma shot detonated on target and the Decepticon's head exploded. Still she couldn't slow down for long and ran for it, carrying Red with her. The Blue's had caught up and all of them dashed for the only cover they could find.

A large pile of junk near the bunker and in the shadow of a neighbouring gun tower. 'Stop you fools! Stop the guns!' A Decepticon shouted over a PA from the tower and the weapons cut out. 'They're too close!'

Sunburst let Red transform and one of the Blue's looked at her. 'Any idea why they stopped?'

'Not a clue,' Sunburst looked around and then up at the four heavy weapons pointed at them from above. A terrible thought came to her; 'What are we hiding behind?'

'Missile racks.' The other Blue answered her with a hint of hysteria.

Red pulled a big box down from above. 'Energon packs. Looks like four outposts worth of spare ammo.'

Sunburst shook her head. 'Someone up there hates me. They really do.' she sighed at the sky before turning her attention to the Decepticons. 'I mean you don't hide ammo stacks under a bit of junk.' she shouted at them. 'Underground supply trains and transport networks, yes. Not throw a bit of scrap around and hope no one gets lucky.'

'We didn't have time to set it all up.' the Decepticon shouted back. 'Surrender or we come out there after you.'

'Then we shoot and blow us all to kingdom come.'

'So how do we get in now?' A Blue asked and Sunburst had an idea.

* * *

Optimus growled. This did not go according to plan, his hope to rush the defences Shockwave wouldn't have time to finish didn't work. While Megatron was a cunning commander he still was ruled by emotions. Shockwave's famous cold hard love of logic had helped him prepare for this.

'Prime, we still have three groups pinned down and not enough ships to get them all out of here!' Jazz shouted over laser fire. 'We have to take out these guns.'

'Agreed, but how?' Optimus asked when something happened. Out by the nearest bunker someone stared shooting at something a lot closer than any Autobot should have gotten. They hit something and a titanic explosion blew Optimus and most of the Autobots off their feet. The shuttle rocked on its landing struts

Sitting up he saw the building missing half it's side. Another, less impressive, explosion went up on the base of the tower next to it, toppling it on top of a third emplacement that also went up when both their main missile batteries ignited. Some crazy 'bot must have gotten close enough to cause that and only one name came to mind.

'Sunburst...' Optimus shook his head. 'Autobots, we have a gap in their defences, use it!' he shouted into his radio.

End teaser

* * *

Authors note

For those of you who didn't get the reference, Omaha was the code name for one of the beachhead landing sites in the D-Day landings in Normandy. One of two for the American army.

Long story short there were several problems and the landing force got bogged down, while just about everyone else pushed inland the US forces had a hell of a fight. It's believed that if they never got off the beach the Normandy landings wouldn't have been as successful. Meaning the second world war would have lasted longer with more casualties.

Sunburst, while now a key figure in the Autobots, is still deep down Dawn Summers. In Buffy cannon she becomes a gifted watcher, in this story she uses her researching skills to study Earths military history. More on that later...


	2. Chapter 1

Playing Dice With the Universe  
Chapter 1

Authors note:-

There is one problem with this story. Most of the Deceptions everyone knows from G-1 have been killed off in the previous stories. So I've raided my comics and a few other resources and found some characters I haven't used yet. The Seacons (used in the UK comics) Sixgun (used in both the comics and a cameo in Rebirth) and Mindwipe (ditto) are all 'real' Decepticons.

And a note on Mindwipe, originally just a hypnotist his background mentioned lots about his mystical practices. Given that I'm pulling a couple of elements from Buffy into the story that's going to be fleshed out.

* * *

Four months later

Shockwave looked at his assembled commanders. While he relied on his legion of guardian drones he recognised the importance of sentient warriors.

Millennia of serving Megatron it was only logical for him to assume command of the Deceptions. He had come to that conclusion, through purely logical reasoning, early on while serving Megatron. Megatron had been a powerful and capable despot but unstable. Shockwave's advanced intellect, power and cold grasp of logic made him the obvious choice.

However right now, sitting in the Decepticon throne in the capitol tower Polyhex, logic wasn't that useful. 'Are you telling me that the micro-master force has raided another energon supply?' he asked, almost disbelieving what his audio receptors were picking up.

'Yes Shockwave.' Snaptrap, the leader of the Seacons answered.'It is the same on that I sent you and your team too, specifically to prevent such an attack.' Behind the Deception his fellow Seacons looked at each other. 'Is not your gestalt form among my most powerful warriors and still they attacked and won?'

Snaptrap winced and answered for all of them. 'Yes, but we weren't ready for them and they kept us from uniting. We were out numbered and surrounded' It wasn't logical, there were at least three more energon reserves in the vicinity that weren't as heavily defended. They could have attacked them and theoretically been in an out before his forces could respond. The same tactic had succeeded in the past with no losses.

It wasn't logical to attack such a radically superior force, he had planned to use them to force the micromasters into a booby-trap but decided against it. Their spies and informants would have informed them as soon as he tried it. Shockwave immediately dismissed the idea it was mistake. The Micromaster commander had switched from a low risk, effective, tactic to a high risk, just as effective, tactic.

Even so one other thing worried him, the high risk tactic had worked. This told him, once again, that his opponent in this battle was extremely skilled or just very lucky. 'Mindwipe, what have you learned with your dark arts.'

The mystic bat looked up and Shockwave was careful not to make eye contact with the master hypnotist. 'Very little. Whoever this Sunburst is they too have knowledge of that which I practice.'

'Really?'

'Yes, I can sense it, and more. Under deep hypnosis Autobot prisoners have reviled more to me. That they are a female Autobot, working outside of typical Autobot command structures. They tell me that Optimus Prime is both concerned and pleased with her unconventional tactics.'

'Then she operates independently, but why? United the Autobot force is stronger isn't it?' Once again Shockwave was faced with two options. The first was that this Sunburst was working illogically, completely on emotion and instinct. Second was that her logical pattern was beyond his ability to understand.

Sixgun, the Decepticon one man arsenal with six transformations, grunted. 'Fembots, who knows that they're thinking.' A side effect of this decepticon's multiple forms was that he was constantly transforming. He switched from robot to battle tank. 'Just give me Killgore and his hunters. I'll track her down and decorate my teeth with her carcass.' To demonstrate he transformed again into a giant robotic leopard covered in weapons.

Shockwave ran the scenario and quickly recognised the flaw. Without Sixgun, Killgore and his blood thirsty hunters Prime's powerful Autobots would have little trouble breaking out of the blockade around them. While they had succeeded in landing they were still only in control of a small amount of Cybertron. It was the Micromasters that had somehow broken this blockade and now worked behind his lines. He said as much even as his logical processors took it to the next level.

'I hate just sitting here.' Sixgun grumbled, absently transforming into an assault fighter jet and testing his engines. Shockwave wasn't listening, he was far too worried about the logical leap he had just made.

'I am now working on an assumption, I am assuming that Sunburst is, currently, successful in her plans.'

His generals looked at him before Mindwipe nodded; 'Logical.'

No, it is not a logical assumption. If it was they would not change their tactics so readily.' Shockwave growled. 'I believe she is attempting to divide out forces, do exactly what Sixgun suggests. But to do so would invite suicide on her part. Again it is not logical. The chance of success would be minimum and it is predictable.'

'Then perhaps she is not logical.' Mindwipe suggested.

'No, while her methods are not her results are. If I do nothing Sunburst's forces deplete all of our energon supplies. A contradiction. I want you to find her Mindwipe. You alone to track her down as you said you could.'

'That will not be as easy as I first believed.' The mystic admitted. 'While interrogated the Autobots reviled one more thing. Sunburst is only an assumed name. She was not created with it.'

'What does that mean?' Snaptrap snapped. 'Sure he's not beginning to lose it?'

'It means, fool, that my scrying requires a true name. The one first imprinted on a spark in it's inception. The magic of a name, the oldest of the old. If her true name is hidden, so is she.'

'So without her true name you can not discern her location.' Shockwave growled. 'Then we are left with only one option. I must destroy this fembot once and for all. Using an unconventional approach, one she will not expect.'

* * *

Sunburst whimpered slightly as she removed a lump of shrapnel from an arm. Bluetooth had yet to really forgive her for his brothers death but she was his commander, even more importantly he knew she had yet to forgive herself.

She was in the small bombed out room she used as her quarters and office. A computer with a cracked screen, a small shelf like bench covered in scant padding served as a recharge pallet and a stack of bound books from earth were the only decoration. Right now she sat on the pallet with her back to the so called door 'So it's not that bad is it. Anymore injuries we should know about?' He knew it as a bad idea to throw her own words back at her but did it anyway.

Sunburst spun around quickly, face pates open to show her human face. 'What are... uhh, you doing in here?' Her angry shout died halfway when she clutched her side.

This got him worried, Sunburst didn't know what pain was. 'How bad is it?'

'Plasma bomb splash and a couple of fragments. Nothing bad just... uncomfortable.' She admitted, human eyes narrowing and face set

'I can send for Fix-It'

'You do and I'll see its you he has to treat.' She pointed the metal shard she had pulled out of herself at him. The end was covered in some sort of red fluid. The same thin fluid covered her wound. Sunburst looked at it before throwing it to one side

'What is that stuff?' he asked.

'Organic.' She answered and stood up. 'What are you doing in here?'

Bluetooth pretended not to notice that she had changed the subject. 'Bumblebee stopped by. He had a couple of messages for you.'

'Really? Give them to me.'

He did as he was told automatically. Most of the time she laughed at the most inappropriate things, treating battle like some big joke. Nothing phased her and it was that attitude that kept everyone alive. Almost everyone. When she did lose someone, no matter who or how she paused for only a fraction of an astro-second and then moved on. Relentless as an energon storm and fearless.

Then there were times like this, where she was a different Autobot. Almost empty and cold to everyone. She only let Bluetooth and Reddusk see her like this and only then rarely. Bluetooth watched as she put the first visual slug into the computer and it flickered into life. Optimus Prime looked back, his face split by the crack across the screen.

'Sunburst, on this recording is the latest update on our supplies and resources. Undoubtedly Shockwave already knows about what we've got. My Autobot's are succeeding in their missions but until Shockwave acts there's nothing we can do, as you know all to well.

'I received some messages from Earth recently. Apparently Jack O'Neill has won your national vote and is now President, the SGC is being flooded by requests for transfer from all the military forces of the world and the rebuild is proceeding well. Also your sister has tried to contact you. I'm sending her message with Bumblebee.' Optimus Prime's face vanished and was replaced with the Autobot badge.

Bluetooth was shocked, he knew that Sunburst was originally a human from Earth but nothing about a family, he looked at her again. She was young by Autobot standards but he had no idea how that translated as a human. She simply walked over to the player and inserted the second slug.

It was like she had forgotten he was there, embarrassed he almost turned and left when the recording started to play. A human female with yellow hair waved at Sunburst. 'Hi Dawnie, long time no see. Well yeah, I can't see you but you know what I mean. I know you said you'll write but you must be busy, I don't know not dying...' The woman trailed off before shaking her head and trying to smile again. 'Well things have been busy here. After we kicked the First's butt and plugged Sunnydale the gang moved to Cleveland. Yeah I know, not the best place in the world but there's a reason for that. It's another Hellmouth, from the way Giles spins it there's like twelve of them all over the world.

'Well back to busy, it wasn't just giant demons and hellmouths the First had working for it. It's got this preacher guy called Caleb and he's trying to open this Hellmouth. I know they can't think of anything original.' Sunburst half laughed before making an odd sound. Bluetooth looked at her, his commander was totally focused on the screen, her human optics leaking water so that it steamed down her pale face.

'Hey is that the Nibblet?' A male voice came from the recording. 'Yes Spike, I'm just finishing.' the woman rolled her optics.

The man looked lean with white hair and a pronounced scar over his right eye. 'Dawn,' he said. 'You better write soon or I'm going to come find you and kick your metal arse back here. I don't care if you are some super robot.'

'Spike, she's on a different planet.'

'I know that love but I'll get there somehow got that Little Bit?'

Sunburst laughed again, her optics still leaking. 'I got it.' she said , even though they couldn't possibly hear her.

'Well that's all from us Dawnie.' The woman looked pointedly at the man with a strange accent. 'Remember we love you and you did promise to write.'

'Don't keep your big sister worrying alright, I don't think anyone can take another week of her worry.' Spike smiled and Sunburst's sibling punched him in the arm before smiling just like the female Autobot.

'Bye, write soon.' She waved and the recording faded to black. The two of them stood there in silence for a moment before Sunburst tuned and looked at him, optics red and haunted.

In that moment she wasn't Sunburst, Sunburst was an unstoppable warrior. This poor girl was something, someone, else. A child with the responsibility of the world on her shoulders, a responsibility she shouldn't have to carry. This was the face hidden behind her face plates. When she spoke it wasn't the cold emotionless voice of his commander or the joking warrior that was his comrade in arms. It was weak and half choked with grief 'Is... Is there something else?'

'There is, but it can wait.'

'I'll decide that.' She blinked, showing signs of the Sunburst he knew but her voice still shook.

'Just, um, you asked me to tell you if any reinforcements came around I didn't recognise. There's a new Autobot out there I don't know.' He also didn't know why she wanted to know but she just sat there for a second, blinking.

'Well finally, I hate being disappointed.' She beamed at him and the face plates shut, her personality taking the sharp right turn back to dangerous

* * *

Dawn cracked her neck and stepped past Bluetooth. That he had seen her at her weakest was... he deserved to know. They all did. That their boss was just an insecure little girl playing soldier because their big sister wouldn't play with her. That she was endangering everyone's life because she didn't know any better.

Dawn didn't want to be on Cybertron, heck right now all she wanted to do was sit down on a sofa and talk to Buffy about how some boy didn't notice her. She didn't know who he would be, she just wanted to be that girl again. Not some scary robot-chick with a reputation and a life threatening job that could end up in everyone she knew dead.

She stopped and drew her energon rifle from subspace and glanced around the corner. 'Green and yellow? Third group from the right?' she described the one she didn't recognise.

Not for the first time she was glad as both a "fem" and commander she had her own quarters away from the bombed out ruins her dozen or so micromasters used. Bluetooth looked for himself. 'That's him, what's this about?'

'Playing games.' Dawn answered, not liking the cold feeling setting in her all too human gut. She cocked the rifle and magnetically attached it to her leg. A quick damage report reminded her to favour her left arm as the right needed time to repair and heal. Her armour was littered with rents, weak points and a handful of other systems needed maintenance. That was all basic stuff that Fix-It would insist on soon enough. Thing was in this state she couldn't survive a drawn out gunfight and her aim left handed wasn't anything to shout about. She needed to get close without alerting him.

'What do you mean games?' Bluetooth asked.

'Have a little faith will you Blue.' She knew he hated that nick-name but used it anyway. Then she had an idea. 'Little Faith.' she repeated before throwing herself into the role.

Right hand on her free hip and the other hanging she used all of her assets as only a certain dark haired Slayer could and stalked into the room. Knowing just how ridiculous she looked Dawn sauntered in the general direction of their new guest. It was worth noting that as the only fem in the whole group Dawn recognised that more than a few of her warriors were impressed with her... chassis would be the best way to describe it.

Now they were Autobots and the whole propagation of the species wasn't as much a driving force, if you could forgive the pun, as it is in humans but they were still male. Giving her this extra weapon and right now she was using it for all it was worth.

Slowly, but deliberately, Dawn swished up to the yellow and green visitor 'Hi.' she said in a tone dripping with honey and innuendo. 'Nice build, what's you name?'

For a moment he just sat there. She wondered if she had crashed his hard drive, yet another pun she wanted to avoid thinking about. Eventually he shook of the look off shock. 'Triton. I was just sent by Prime to help.'

Good cover story, but she didn't buy it for a minute. 'I bet you've got some orders for me.' She prodded while sweeping around and draping herself over his shoulder. Last thing she wanted him to do was think about how accessible her gun was.

'Err yes... I do.' he said before looking slyly at her. 'Is there somewhere we can... discuss them?' She smiled at him, knowing full well he couldn't see her face. She had him

'I'm sure we can think of something else to do. before or after, I think I'll leave that up to you.' She stepped back and let him stand up. He did and gave her a long look up and down. It took all of her self control not to shudder and shoot him in the head right there.

Dawn gestured to the door she had come in through and Triton went first, for a moment she felt pity and a little but like a slut. Quickly squashing both she drew the energon rifle and fired.

The shot caught him in the shoulder blade and spun him around. Dawn didn't give him a chance to fall and fired again, this time catching him dead centre and throwing him to the ground. 'Ohh... that must have hurt.' She smirked at him.

Triton reached behind his back, Dawn guessed it was a gun and stomped down on the elbow.

'Wh... what's going on?' Someone had the brains to ask.

'Not much.' Dawn answered, reaching down she grabbed the Autobot badge on the so called messenger and pulled. It was attached by a magnet and came off with a clang, showing a ugly purple Decepticon face glowering at her. 'But this is a big clue. So Triton, what was it? I mean spy, assassination or maybe just plant a big old here we are sign on the front door?'

'How...?'

'It's not polite to answer a question with another question. Did you know that?' She threw the false badge at his face and it bounced off, attaching to the floor.

'I was... I was to kill you if I had the chance but my mission was to report your location to Sixgun.'

Dawn winced, not from the wounds she was pulling but the idea. Sixgun could demolish her troops like a light snack. 'Nice.' she said to herself before turning to her warriors. 'Alright boys, time to move along. We're finding a new base. Red and Blue keep an eye on Captain Stealth here. If he tries to run, well you know the rest. But I'd like him alive, I want to use him to give Shockwave a message.'

Dawn kicked Triton in the head and walked away, holstering her rifle but not letting go. Her death grip on the handle being the only thing stopping her hand from shaking violently. 'She... She's psychotic.' The Decepticon gasped and Dawn looked over her shoulder

Red had lifted him to his feet and shook the spy once, hard, before pointing the business end of his shoulder cannon at him. 'Yep, I am.' she threw back at him and doubled her pace, she had to get out of there. Quickly she pushed past the stunned Bluetooth

* * *

Bluetooth looked over the Micromasters. By Primus that Fem was dangerous, his main fuel pump had almost stopped when she pulled the femme-fatale. Then shooting the guy in the back was almost too much.

His fellow Autobots were the same, too shocked to really act. Until someone clapped their hands. 'We've got out orders.' an astro-second later everyone was moving.

'You got him?' Bluetooth asked before thinking.

Reddusk looked to him. 'This guy isn't going anywhere.'

'Right, I'll be back. I have to talk with Sunburst.' He did, for all the good it would do. He found her back in her cramped room, looking blankly at the wall rubbing her hands.

'What?' She asked without turning, but dropping her hands.

Blue tooth couldn't help but notice her fingers still flicking. 'Sunburst... If you knew they'd send an assassin why didn't you tell us?'

She didn't answer, at least for a moment. 'If I was wrong you'd be suspicious of everyone for no reason.' She looked down before wringing her hands again.

'So you kept it to yourself? What if you had been wrong?'

'Then I'd have... shot an innocent guy in the back.' Sunburst answered. Before that morning Bluetooth might not have noticed her pause, the tiny crack in her voice but there was something more important.

'What's wrong with your hands?' She hadn't stopped them, in fact it looked like whatever caused it was getting worse. Constantly fidgeting fingers the both of them looked at the rest less hands shook violently.

'I... I can't... I can't stop them.' She admitted in that voice that wasn't Sunburst. It was the voice of a human girl, nothing more than a child. Like a dam breaking the shakes spread up her arms, her knees buckled and Bluetooth couldn't move fast enough to catch her. He couldn't move at all.

On the floor he watched her racked with a horrible deep pain. 'I can't stop, I can't. Have to keep going.' She said, rocking herself on the floor. 'Come on Dawn get with the program.' It was then he realised she was talking to herself. 'They need you, they need me to be strong. not like this...'

Bluetooth knelt down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. Sunburst, no Dawn shied away. This was Dawn, the human she was before and the person hidden under all those layers.

'God, I don't know how much longer I can do this.' She finally looked at him. 'As long as I have to I guess. They won't quit with out one hell of a fight, so we give them that fight.' For a moment he thought she had it under control then she suddenly burst out again, weeping while she clung to his hand like a lifeline.

'Why don't you let us help? That's what we're here for.'

Her grip tightened. 'I... I can't, there are things happening. The plan, oh god you don't know what I'm going to ask of you. What I'm going to do...'

'What?' he asked

'I'm going to die... I'm going to die and I'm going to take you all with me.' she cried

End chapter 1

Authors note:-

Those of you wondering when The Beast Wars are coming, have patience. We need to set characters before the stage. As for Sunburst's admission, well that we'll all have to see next chapter.


	3. Chapter 2

Playing Dice With the Universe  
Chapter 2

Authors note

As pointed out "Sixgun" as I called him is actually Sixshot and has a larger history in Transformers than I knew (the fact I got the name wrong was why I couldn't find anything about him at first...) Also it wasn't a flying Griffon but a wolf with wings (a bit like Beast Wars Silverbolt) I'm fixing the name but keeping the character traits of always chomping at the bit and transforming absently. If that goes too against the original so be it. Another thing that bugs me is that there is an Autobot called Sixgun, I've even used him before! (he's a component of Metroplex, made up of six guns)

To move the plot along there is also going to be a "twist" at the end of this chapter that may make you want to punch the screen. Pun is, of course, intended.

* * *

Shockwave was a scientist, thoroughly devoted to logic, as such he knew it was impossible for a purely mechanical being such as himself to suffer headaches. This, however, was the only explanation for the developing pain in the diodes down the left side of his brain. 'And you fell for that?'

'Well you.. you ordered me too...' Triton stammered

'I ordered you to find and kill the Autobot micromaster leader. Not fall for the first trick in a fem's arsenal. Why did she not just annihilate you when she had the chance?'

The useless Deception shook his head 'Sunburst let me go to deliver a message.'

'Which was?'

'Urm. She said:- "Thanks for the compliment, but next time just send flowers or chocolates".'

Shockwave just looked at him for a long second. His logic buffer refusing to compute what he had just heard. 'I sent you as an assassin, she turned you into a message boy and took it as a compliment?'

'I told you, she's insane. I mean completely gone, her sanity chips must have burnt out or something.'

'That is not outside the realms of possibility.' Shockwave admitted. 'But still, you learnt her name. Her recklessness is a weakness, what else did you learn?'

'Lot's. She's not a micromaster, she's a powermaster! Combines with Optimus Prime, the Autobots think that when she does they become Primus.'

'Superstition.' he thought for a moment. 'Still with even more power the feeble minded Autobots might believe Prime had the power of a God.'

Triton 'And another thing she wasn't created an Autobot. The say she's human underneath.'

This brought Shockwave's head up. 'Of course, a Powermaster. They converted her into an Autobot for some reason. It is possible that she herself can be a source of power, logically that would explain a great deal. Her tactics and skills must be human learnt.'

'How can a human be a power source?' Triton asked

'That I do not know. Megatron was always as interested in enslaving the humans as much as taking their planets energon. This theory explains that too. Still that is unimportant. Extraneous data.' Shockwave stood from his seat and walked over to the window over looking Helex. He had a lot of planning to do.

* * *

Dawn crouched behind a scrap pile and looked up. She had the bulk of her forces with her and a mission in mind. At the top of one of the bombed out buildings Longsight and Spotlight were keeping a look out over the target. Using her micro flashlight she sent a couple of flashes to them.

She didn't risk radio transmissions, she couldn't. No sound, no words, just complete stealth. Dawn waited, no signal. Damn there was someone guarding the stockpile. Red and Blue shared a look, they knew what no response meant. They also knew it was a bad idea to risk another flash of light. Sure it wasn't likely it would be seen but Dawn wasn't going to risk lives, a Decepticon saw one flash he'd ignore it. but lots of them they might notice something was up. Especially this close to Decepticon command.

Literally at the foot of the great decepticon tower called Polyhex in their city of Helex. God what was with Decepticons putting "ex" in everything, didn't they have imagination? well no they were the bad guys. The heavily armed, merciless and now rapidly becoming desperate bad guys. If they found out that she was there she and her forces would be stomped in to jam faster than you could say splat.

On the other hand if they were going to tick off Shockwave this was the best way to go about it. With a creeping smiled she looked back at the shattered building. A single flash.

Someone was on patrol. Only one but that was enough, if they spent too long with them Shockwave's pet team, the Seacons, would get the message and then she could kiss her exhaust port goodbye.

Well that's life Dawn guessed.

* * *

Shockwave looked out the window, the flapping of metallic wings echoed into the room. 'Ahh Ratbat. What news of the abandoned Micromaster base?'

The small cassette spy came to land on the back of Shockwave's chair 'Empty, save for a rig of demolition charges on the supports. It appears they have left a trap for any that follow.'

The Decepticon commander didn't bother to look back. He was still using most of his processing power to predict the next action. An attack was an eighty percent probability. Still with this opponent that wasn't much help. 'And they had already left by the time they released Triton. I thought as much. Still you found nothing?' If they were to attack the odds were fair as to where.

'Nothing. The computers and equipment too large to move were stripped of valuable components and scrapped.'

'As I suspected. Once again an incredibly logical move from an often illogical foe.' A brief flicker came across his processor. 'I calculate their next attack will be against my own private energon stockpile. Have Flywheels...' Shockwave trailed off as the very stockpile he was talking about detonated. 'Never mind.'

Ratbat flew and landed on his shoulder. 'I don't understand, why don't you just launch an extermination squad to hunt them down.'

'That is both the most logical option and most predictable. Were I to divert men and energon from the fortification lines Prime would over run them. As it stands I must walk a fine line between splitting my forces. The Autobots have provided me with two options. Both result in my demise. I must find a third, still with these near constant micromaster attacks pressing me into action and occupying my processors I don't have the time to devote the processing power needed.' Engaging his optical magnification Shockwave watched the attack. They were out of range but he could still see them. One small Autobot dived from Flywheels attack from the air while shooting at the tank form.

A strange tactic. Attacking the most heavily armoured component of the duo-con rather than his weaker air form. The obviously female micromaster kept firing and, then between one shot and another, threw something at him.

As one the micromasters fired, not at the tank but the air form. Shockwave examined the tactic, once again too late but to observe. The female had throw an explosive charge, magnetically attached to the join point between the two component forms. Instinctively Flywheels united to protect his air form. Transforming quickly the Decepticon guard combined his two forms. The explosive charge detonated, separating the two parts and knocking the Decepticon into status lock.

It was an impressive move, quickly exploiting the weakness of the multiple form Decepticon. The Micromasters then split up. One, small, group collected energon cubes and ran while another team helped their wounded. Shockwave had lost track of Sunburst and tried to see which group she was in. It would tell him more about her. Did she care for her warriors first or the attack's success. She wasn't in either. Scanning this way and that he finally spotted her, looking back at him.

Down there, far out of range of his weapon in either mode the Fem waved back at Shockwave before ducking behind a building. Shockwave pounded on the reinforced plexi-glass and scanned again. She had been the last to leave, distracting him from the others escape.

'Lord Shockwave, look. The Seacons!' Ratbat cried. He was right, the Seacons in their combined form of Pirranacon were flying onto the scene.

The Decepticon leader growled before activating he communications. Transmitting an image of the red, blue and green powermaster fem he barked an order. 'Ignore the others, locate and terminate her.'

* * *

Dawn was cursing herself under her breath. She'd wasted time showing off for the one eyed Decepti-creap. Now not only was she left behind but she had that ugly giant firing after.

Somewhere a battle instinct kicked in and she pulled off a duck and tuck roll. A laser burst lanced right where she had been. Scrambling up again she didn't have time to think before she had to pull of a combat shoulder roll. Flipping over a fallen wall and skidding down the inside of a crater. Laser fire following her all the way. 'My kingdom for an ion cannon.'

She was trapped and the flying Decepticon landed at the crater edge. 'You know, if you want a girlfriend sorry I'm not interested. But I'm sure there's a nice crocodile that doesn't care that much about looks.' Dawn quipped, drawing her rifle. Sure it was a nice little gun against Micromasters but full blown Decepticons could just ignore it. Gestalts, forget it.

'The little one wants to play huh. I don't like the odds. How about six against one?'

'One or six of you. Doesn't matter to me.' She shouted back before whispering. 'I'm dead either way.' She pulled up a quick inventory. Her rifle had two thirds of full power, who knows she could get lucky and take down two of them. Only one explosive charge left.

That left three if it split up, none of her stuff would make a big enough dent on the combined form. That Ion Cannon she had asked for sounded good right about now. The Seacons split into their individual robot forms.

Dawn opened the panel on her thigh that held the last explosive surprise. The six of them, gloating like cat's that had just trapped the mouse. They didn't know this mouse still had claws. Dawn affixed the Charge to the end of her gun and shouted; 'As the Klingons say. Today is a good day to die.' before she fired at the right of the middle two Seacons.

The powerful explosive, already destabilised by being fired, might as well have been a missile. The Decepticon, expecting an easy kill wasn't ready for the blast and neither was the on next to him. The one she aimed at pitched back, the one next to him was thrown to one side.

Dawn didn't waste anytime and just opened up. Blaster on full auto she ran to on side, circle strafing like Xander had told her once about in computer games. Thing was this was no game and one wrong move she didn't have any extra lives to use later. Getting killed meant game over. 'Fall down!' she almost ordered the one she had concentrated her fire on.

The jarring jerk form each shot was getting worse. Throwing her aim but that didn't matter. The Decepticons were getting closer. Bigger and closer. It might have been luck or simply the amount of shots he'd taken but her target finally stumbled.

It couldn't have been luck. There was nowhere left to run, she and they knew it The crater was too steep this side to climb out. Dawn's back was against the wall and this was it.

* * *

Shockwave looked down from his thrown at the Seacons, smoke still rising from numerous rents and holes. 'At least tell me you took care of Sunburst.' He asked plaintively.

The two that could reply looked at each other over the grav-sled with their deactivated team mates on. 'We think we did.' Jawbreaker said at last.

'She wasn't moving, but that could just be because my Sting Blasters paralyse.' Seawing added quickly and Shockwave resisted the impulse to rap his fingers against the arm of his throne.

'Tell me again what happened. From the beginning.'

'Well,' started Seawing. 'We tracked her down like you said to. She was all alone and we had her cornered in this big hole you see.'

'Yes but like you said we knew she was cleaver so we separated. You know to surround and outnumber her.' Jawbreaker pointed out. Tactically it didn't matter, combined or not they were more than a match for a powermaster. 'So there were, about to blow her apart when she jumps left, she dodges right. You know nimble like.'

Jawbreaker picked up the story 'That's right. She was running this way and that and then boom. She must have had some sort of heavy firepower because Snap Trap took something in the chest. Look.'

Shockwave did, the Seacon sub-commander's chest plate was a mess and he was covered in burn marks. 'Looks like demolition charge damage. Our enemy has a fondness for using high explosives. Continue.' Shockwave found it an interesting dichotomy, she used maximum stealth so well she could move totally undetected but her weapon of choice was anything but stealthy.

Jawbreaker went on to explain how Sunburst kept dodging but eventually ran out of space to evade, even if she brought down Tentakil. '...Then Seawing fired. We didn't want her dodging again.'

'Yeah so I fired. We had the little fem right where we wanted here when the whole Micromaster had us surrounded. It was a trap. We were stuck at the bottom of this pit with dozens of them all around, we did what we could, but without Snap Trap and Tentakil.'

'You couldn't form Pirranacon. Skalor and Nauilator were badly injured. What of Sunburst? Was she destroyed?' Shockwave pressed, that was all he was interested in.

'We... we don't know.'

'How can you not know?' Shockwave was trying very hard to stay calm. 'You either shot her or you didn't.'

Jawbreaker answered. 'We saw her carried off by two other Micromasters. Then Skalor said he had them...'

'Get him repaired, get all of yourselves repaired. I want Skalor here as soon as he can walk and talk.'

'Yes Lord Shockwave!' The two Seacons nodded and pushed the sled out, heading for the repair bay.

Shockwave couldn't risk hoping she was dead. There was a seventy-eight percent chance her damage was only superficial and a ninety-eight percent chance of further attacks. With his own private supply of energon gone and an Autobot attack becoming point eight of a percent more likely every passing cycle sooner or later the Decepticon cause was lost.

And with it any chance to complete his great experiment. How his fellows laughed when he told them of his designs millennia ago. Back when he worked at the Cybertronian Science Development Complex. Alongside the know it all Preceptor, the madcap inventor Wheeljack, the lunatic Flame and all under the watchful gaze of the complex leader Xarron. It was before Megatron rose to power and started the great war, he had worked with the Autobot fools because he too was a scientist but they didn't respect him. He loved the science of numbers, calculations. The more complex the better and then he turned his attention to the most complex equation of all, time travel.

He spent years, devoting every spare moment to it, and eventually had a working theory. The Cronosphere, an energy bubble correctly attuned to the wavelength of time and space. With it you could travel anywhere and anywhen. His Autobot colleagues disagreed, said it was too dangerous, that it would never work. Xarron himself called it a folly and warned him not to mess with the dangerous idea of time travel. Blinkered, blind, old and jealous fools.

Shockwave conducted the first experiment on his own. It cost him his first head and left hand. Megatron found him in his secret lab and after rebuilding the head and replacing the hand made him an offer. Help conquer all of Cybertron and Megatron would support any future experiments. Shockwave agreed, but for his own reasons.

When the Decepticon leader disappeared Shockwave had already become one of his most trusted lieutenants. Converting his alternate mode from computer bank to a space gun and providing sound tactical advice when needed. Taking command of the Decepticons was easy but he never lost sight of his goal. The Cronosphere.

Even when the planet ran out of energon and he could no longer experiment Shockwave still calculated and recalculated, trying to find and fix any errors in his math or machine.

It was his true labour of love, and now he was going to lose it. Before he'd had a chance to use it.

Shockwave jumped with a start. That was the one resource he hadn't used, if the Autobots were so concerned about the damage that could be done with time travel he'd have to show them it first hand.

The radio popped out of his wrist. 'Shockwave to Counterpunch. I have a mission for you, the Autobots cannot know about it. Understood?'

'Yes Lord Shockwave. What is it you need me to do?'

'Gather up all the energon supplies from depot nine seven three gamma. Take them to the south side of this tower. It is vitally important the Micromasters do not know about this until it is too late.'

'To late for what?'

'For them to stop me destroying all of them of course.'

* * *

Reddusk looked in. Their leader was lying on the medi-slab, she'd taken a pounding. Energon replaced, and a handful of systems just weren't working. Fixit looked up and shook his head.

'Sorry Reddusk, I just don't know. If it was you or me I could repair the damage but Sunburst is still part human. I have no idea how their self repair system works or even if her's will still work.'

'Do what you can, it was a matter of luck we heard that detonation.'

Fixit chuckled. 'If you ever need to find this fem it's always a good idea to look for the biggest explosion around.'

'Got that right.' Bluetooth walked up to them. 'We've got a problem, it's Punch. He's just broken cover to find us. Apparently old one eye's gotten tired of playing to Sunbursts tune and has a new plan.'

'If he won't dance with us we'll just have to dance over him.' Sunburst suddenly said, surprising everyone before trying to get up. 'Oww. And keep it down next time. You guys are loud enough worriers to wake the dead.' Their leader chuckled painfully

End chapter 2

* * *

Authors note:  
Doesn't anything keep her down? Well that's something we're just going to have to explore isn't it. Also Counterpunch and Punch, Punch is an Autobot spy that has two robot modes. One is Counterpunch, who is really a disguise for him of a Decepticon warrior.


End file.
